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PSHE and RSE
BackPSHE and RSE Leads: Heads of Year
Strategic Lead: Mrs Rose
Our mission statement is to deliver all-round excellence and for our students to receive a well-rounded personal development curriculum alongside the academic curriculum. The Personal, Social, Health and Economic and the Relationship and Sex Education curriculum is spiral and builds on skills and knowledge that is age appropriate from Year 7 to Year 13. We aim to help our students understand the complex society in which they live, and equip them with the life skills and empathy to be a happy and successful member of the community. We look at a range of topics with an aim to support them in making informed choices about their own health and wellbeing, and give them the confidence and strength to keep themselves safe. Furthermore, the aim is to consider the reality of a modern and dynamic economy and how they can prepare themselves for the range of future pathways available to them. The programme follows three strands:
- Health and Well-being
- Living in the Wider World
- Relationships
The RSE programme is integrated within the above strands. This is delivered as part of the tutor time programme and a one-hour PSHE lesson per fortnight with the form tutor, supported by the Pastoral Teams at all Key Stages. Biological aspects of RSE are taught within the science curriculum at Key Stage 3, and other aspects are included in religious education at Key Stage 3. [Updated 2023/24]
Years 7, 8 and 9
Year 7
The Year 7 PSHE curriculum introduces topics of the All-Round Excellence programme. The first term guides students through how to settle into a new environment and how to develop healthy relationships and what to do about cyberbullying. Term 2 moves into thinking about diet and exercise, how to make healthy choices, and the risks of alcohol, tobacco/vaping and other substances. We continue to explore relationships in Term 3, looking at on- and offline friendships, self-esteem and family life. Students will then look at diversity in the UK in Term 4 and how important it is to understand the wider world. This will lead them to reflect on their emotional awareness and self-esteem. During Term 5 and 6 students explore raising aspirations through the topic of 'career' and on developing financial awareness and financial capability. There are occasions when external speakers deliver talks on various topics such as road safety, the consequences of drugs, alcohol abuse and county lines. [MT 2024/25]
Year 8
The Year 8 PSHE curriculum both introduces new topics and builds on the foundations of the All Round Excellent programme delivered in Year 7. The first term introduces sexuality and consent and re-examines the consequences of drug misuse. Term 2 moves into mental health and emotional well-being including, perhaps of most relevance to teenagers nowadays, how to cope with cyberbullying and build digital resilience. Much of the remainder of the year guides our students to living in the wider world including discrimination, tolerance and living in a diverse community. [MP 2023/24]
Year 9
Year 9 continues the themes of relationships, living in the wider world and health and well-being by investigating a wide range of topics and engaging with a variety of concepts appropriate to this stage in the students’ personal development. From how to maintain healthy relationships to British values and what they mean to us, the Year 9 curriculum in PSHE provides both challenge and opportunities for growth. [JJ 2023/24]
Years 10 and 11
Year 10
In Year 10 students are supported through the transition to KS4. We look to develop good study habits required for success at GCSE. We also cover methods of revision and how to develop resilience as well as preparation for work experience. The main PSHE topics covered are relationship myths, challenges and consent; understanding the consequences of risk-taking behaviour; developing employability skills; LGBTQ+ History Month and exploring the influence of role models; understanding different families and learning parenting skills; managing change, grief and bereavement. [LB 2023/4]
Year 11
In Year 11 students are encouraged and supported to develop a mindset to success. We look at the Sixth Form application process, as well as alternative pathways post-16. We also cover revision skills and study power, advice on diet, sleep and physical health, as well as prompting self-esteem. Other strands of PSHE that are covered are personal values, tackling domestic abuse and forced marriage, British values, human rights and community cohesion, challenging extremism and radicalisation. [KST 2024/25]
Sixth Form: Years 12 and 13
All students follow a Future Planning programme to prepare them for their life post-Sixth Form. These sessions will be delivered through fortnightly PSHE lessons and morning tutorial sessions. The programme is divided into four strands:
Personal Development: financial planning, wider reading, presentation skills, health and well-being, relationship and sex education (RSE), team building and leadership skills.
Learning Power: A Level mindset, study skills, revision skills, time management, reflection and target setting.
Future Goals: Mock interviews, UCAS, careers, employability skills, gap year options and apprenticeships, CV writing, psychometric testing and interview techniques.
Community: tutor time discussion and current affairs, inter-form competitions, volunteering, mentoring, student leadership, student council, fundraising, assemblies.
For further information please visit the Sixth Form Future Planning page.